The present invention relates to the control of room air conditioner units, and more particularly, to a remote control system useful in diagnosing problems with an air conditioning unit.
Room air conditioning units provide an alternative to central air conditioning systems in apartment buildings, offices and homes where it is either impractical or prohibitively expensive to install them. An important consideration of the purchase and installation of an air conditioning unit is the cost of operating the unit. An inefficiently operated air conditioner can result in substantial energy costs.
Remote control units for control of air conditioners have been developed successfully. Not only does a remote control provide the operator with freedom of movement while controlling the room air conditioner, but further gives easy access to the controls. Specifically, prior controls for a room air conditioner unit were normally placed on the surface of the unit, while the unit was placed at a high, low, or awkward position in the room. A remote control unit, therefore, does not require the operator to reach up or bend down to operate the unit. Further, remote controls do not require space on the surface of the air conditioner.
A problem in air conditioner operation is controlling different modes of operation in a diagnostic or production line basis. For example, during assembly prior to packaging for transport it is advisable to test the unit to assure it fulfills all design specifications. Prior art testing methods needed physical contact with the unit to cycle through a number of diagnostic test procedures or modes to ensure the air conditioner was properly constructed.
Presently there is a need to test the infrared link or other communication link to a newly manufactured room air conditioner. There exists a need for selective non-contact control of a product during assembly and test procedures within a factory.
Remote control of room air conditioners is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,665. This remote control unit is utilized for operating a test run of the air conditioner. A wireless remote controller utilizes a microprocessor for transmitting operating data to an air conditioner and a receiving circuit for receiving back data on air conditioner operation. Only a single remote is disclosed that operates in a test mode.
Other room environmental units such as ceiling fans as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,412 which include a diagnostic mode of operation. As further known in the art, other systems may utilize remote analyzers or built-in diagnostic modes via control jumpers as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,146,085 and 4,470,266, respectively.
The present invention is directed to overcome the aforementioned problems associated with remote control room air conditioners, where it is desired to provide a user friendly interface for selection of diagnostic test modes in both production and domestic environments.